Man charged with murder in girlfriend’s shooting

EVERETT — Daniel Lyle Rinker has been in and out of prison since he was a teenager.

He was released from his latest stint in May 2013 after serving three years for unlawful gun possession. A few months later Rinker was again in trouble with the law, charged with burglary.

Now, the Arlington man is accused of murder.

Prosecutors allege that Rinker, 25, shot his girlfriend in the head during an April 8 argument. Jessica Jones, of Tulalip, died the next day at a Seattle hospital. She was 25.

Prosecutors on Friday charged Rinker with second-degree murder.

Rinker allegedly told detectives that Jones was hit by gunfire from a passing car. He said he was upstairs when the shooting happened.

Police found Jones on the ground inside a garage in the 6800 block of 188th Street NE in Arlington.

Neighbors told detectives that they heard yelling from the garage followed by a single gunshot. They also reportedly saw Rinker run from the garage and toss something into a nearby field. Detectives later found a silver revolver in some grass near where the neighbors spotted Rinker. There was an empty casing in the gun.

The revolver appeared to be the same gun Rinker was holding in a picture posted on Facebook, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Randy Yates wrote in court papers.

Detectives collected video surveillance of the area. The footage didn’t capture any vehicles passing by at the time of the shooting. Witnesses also didn’t report seeing any pedestrians or cars, Yates wrote.

The defendant’s grandparents told police that Rinker and Jones were in the garage at the time of the shooting, court papers said. His grandmother is heard on the 911 tape saying “Danny put the gun…,” Yates wrote.

Witnesses told detectives that Rinker threatened Jones in the past. Police believe that Rinker was becoming paranoid that Jones would leave him if he went to prison again, according to court papers.

Rinker has five felony convictions, including a robbery. If convicted of the killing, this would be his second strike.